Global comparison of the biogenic weathering rates of mycorrhiza

Supervisor:

Dr. Jens Boy, Dr. Robert Mikutta, Prof. Georg Guggenberger

Researcher:

Annika Dechêne

Duration:

2013-2016

Funded by:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: DFG-Projekt (BO 3741 3-1)

Our overall goal is to identify the contribution of mycorrhizal weathering to overall weathering, soil formation, and ecosystem nutrition on global scale. Thereby, we aim at identifying the different weathering abilities of AM and EM, elucidating whether mycorrhizal weathering is a function of nutrient limitation or chemical stability of minerals, investigate into the effects of soil properties onto mycorrhizal weathering rates, and answering the question whether longer growth periods in the tropics provide higher energy inputs for accelerated mycorrhizal weathering as compared to temperate climates.